Nail set



Patented Sept. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES i Parli-)NT f NAIL SET Bart W. Frevel, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application June 21, 194,6, Serial No. 678,338

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a nail set. A nail set is used to engage the heads of nails and sink the nail below the surface of the material into which it has been driven. Such nail sets commonly comprise a shank having an upper end adapted to receive a blow from a hammer and having a lower end of comparatively small diameter usually having a beveled end and a concave recess in said lower end. The lower end of the nail set soon wears and it is not a great while before the set must be discarded.

It is an object of this invention to provide a nail set which can have its lower or nail-engaging end repeatedly renewed.

It is another object of the invention to provide a nail set having a shank, the lower end of which is of reduced diameter and of substantially uniform diameter for quite a distance from its lower end, said lower end being beveled and of tubular form.

It is more specically an object of the invention to provide a nail set comprising a shank having an intermediate portion adapted to :be held in the hand, an upper portion adapted to receive a blow from a hammer and a lower portion of reduced diameter and of tubular form, said lower portion having its end beveled and being lled with a soft metal having a concave recess at the lower end of said set.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which- Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation of a nail set, certain parts being broken away and others shown in central vertical section; and

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view.

Referring to the drawings, a nail set I is shown comprising a shank, and while this tank might be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as cylindrical and having an intermediate portion loa., the surface of which is shown as being knurled. Said set comprises an upper portion Illb, the upper end of which is at right angles to the axis of said shank and is adapted to receive a blow from a hammer. ASaid shank tapers just below portion Ilia and has a lower portion lc which is of substantial uniform diameter and is of tubular form for most of its extent. The lower end of portion loc is beveled, as shown at ltd and the said portion has the hole or bore therein filled with a soft 5B metal ll. The lower end of metal Il has a concave recess l la therein.

In operation the device shown will be placed over the head of a nail which has been driven into material, such as flooring, and a blow will be struck on the top of portion 10b. The nail is driven further into the material and the sharp edge of the beveled portion l0c enables the set to easily move downward some distance into the material with the nail. This operation is known as nail setting. When the beveled edge on the present tool becomes worn and dull, it is only necessary to again renew the bevel Id which can easily be done on a grinding or other machine. The set proper will be made of a hard metal, such as steel, while the metal Il will be of some soft metal, such as babbitt, lead, etc. After the bevel 10d is renewed, the metal ll can easily have the concave recess formed therein by merely rotating a pointed tool thereagainst. In practice however it has been found easier to just use the nail set and the head of the nail goes into the soft metal Il a certain distance to make the concave portion Ila. This concave portion is thus made automatically without any special operation. The nail set disclosed can thus be repeatedly sharpened and will last for a very long time. The set can be very easily and inexpensively produced. The same has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efficient and is being commercially made.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, Without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A nail set comprising a shank made of hard metal arranged at one end to receive a blow on said end, said shank having its other end portion of tubular form with the passage therein opening through said other end and a filling of soft metal in said portion and disposed inwardly of said other end of said shank.

2. A nail set comprising a shank of hard metal, such as steel, and having one end adapted to receive a blow, the other end portion of the shank being of comparatively small diameter and being in the form of a tube for a considerable distance from said other end, the bore of said tube opening through said other end said other end being beveled, and a filling of soft metal in said tubular portion and terminating substantially within said beveled portion.

3. The structure set forth in claim 2, the exposed end of said soft metal being of concave form.

BART W. FREVEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 111e of this patent:

Number Number Great Britain May 15, 1907 

